Part 4 – What Predators Won’t Tell You — And What We Must Learn From This

©️ An investigative series by Sophie Lewis | The Grooming Files | @sophielewiseditorial

“I have now sat face to face — and screen to screen — with predators who know exactly what they are, and who know the system will not stop them.

I have heard what most will never hear.

And there are things you need to understand — because this failure affects us all.”

The Most Chilling Thing I Learned

It isn’t the graphic admissions.
It isn’t the fantasies.
It isn’t the raw, brutal confessions.

It’s this:

They know they are dangerous — and they know the system won’t stop them.

That is why they are coming to me.
That is why they are spiralling — reaching out to exposure groups, journalists, the public — trying to force someone to intervene.

And this is a failure that belongs to all of us — because while they are begging to be stopped, they are still walking free.

This Is Not Just One Case

This is not theory.
I have now documented this pattern across two countries — and two predators:

In the UK — “Chris” — who came to me voluntarily, begging to be exposed, after spiralling into dangerous escalation.
In Australia — “Matt” — who contacted multiple exposure groups and then me, confessing openly to crimes and active fantasies — while knowing he remained a public danger.

And I am hearing this is happening more and more.

Exposure groups across the UK and Australia are now reporting similar cases — predators contacting them voluntarily, spiralling, seeking exposure — because they know the system is not stopping them.

This is an emerging international pattern — and no one is ready for it.

Why This Is Happening Now

Why now?

Because we have created a generation of predators whose compulsions were fed online from an early age — unchecked — while systems failed to catch up.

The explosion of child-accessible content, the collapse of meaningful digital monitoring, and the rise of self-reinforcing online communities have driven predators to the point where they now spiral publicly — seeking exposure, forced intervention, or even gratification from being caught.

This is a new phase of predator psychology — one born of the digital age — and it is happening in multiple countries, right now.

“The compulsion to offend online escalates rapidly without intervention, often driving offenders to take greater risks — including public or semi-public exposure of their behaviour.”
— Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE)

What They Won’t Tell You — But Told Me

When predators contact journalists, they are not trying to protect children.
They are trying to protect themselves — from their own compulsion.

They know what they are doing.
They know the harm they cause.
They know they will do it again — unless someone physically stops them.

Here is what they won’t tell the public — but told me:

“I would rape a child if I had the chance.”
“I touch myself while looking at real children online.”
“I take photos of children in public for my own use.”
“I would probably keep going if a child said no.”

And after confessing all this — what happens?

Minimisation. Denial. Reframing.

“I wouldn’t actually do it,” Matt messaged me after his recorded video interview.
“I feel bad about it.”
“I was thinking fantasy, not reality.”

This is textbook predator behaviour — and why public exposure must not be confused with genuine remorse.

Exposure-seeking is a red flag — not a redemption arc.

“Monitor Me” — The Message That Should Alarm Us All

In one chilling message after his interview, Matt asked me directly:

“Is there anyone that would do paedophile monitoring — report breaches to police — do location checkups?”

He knew the system was not intervening.
He knew he was dangerous.
And he was trying to force someone — anyone — to stop him.

And yet, at the time of writing — Matt remains free.

“When a person begins spiralling into risk behaviour, early intervention is critical. Waiting for an offence to occur means we have already failed the child.”
— NSPCC Chief Executive Sir Peter Wanless

What Survivors Must Understand

As a survivor — I know how seductive false remorse can be.

I know how much we want to believe that a predator can change.
That a confession means progress.

But sitting face to face with these men — I saw the truth:

The confession is not a cure.
The remorse is not real.
The danger remains — until something external forces it to stop.

Survivors must understand this:
Exposure is not enough.
Public shame is not enough.
Only coordinated, professional intervention — and systemic change — will protect children.

We must demand that change.

What Society Must Learn

This is not rare.
This is not a one-off.
This is not a “shock story.”

It is a PATTERN.
I have now documented it across two countries.
Exposure groups are seeing it happen more and more.
Police are not equipped to respond fast enough.

The most dangerous predators are no longer hiding.
They are spiralling.
They are seeking exposure — because they know the system will not catch them in time.

This is the frontline of predator behaviour now.
And if we do not change how we respond — more children will be harmed.

What Must Change — Now

We must:
Create professional pathways for intervention at the exposure-seeking stage.
Train exposure groups to handle this phase ethically and effectively.
Ensure police are equipped — legally and operationally — to act FAST on this pattern.
Build public awareness — so parents and communities can protect children from the predators already spiralling in plain sight.

And we must do it urgently.

Because predators like Chris and Matt are out there.
Because exposure groups are being contacted by them.
Because the system is not ready.

And because I am telling you — they will offend again if we do not act.

Why I Will Keep Fighting

“When predators are coming to journalists because they know the system won’t stop them — that is not a broken system.

That is a system in freefall.

And I will not stop documenting it until we fix it.”

I am a survivor.
I am a journalist.
And I will not be silent.

Not when predators are begging to be stopped — and still walking free.
Not when children remain at risk.
Not when I know — because I have heard it — exactly what these men think, want, and will do.

I will keep documenting this failure — until predators like these can no longer slip through the cracks — until every child is protected — and until this system is rebuilt to match the threat we now face.

A Call to Action

And to survivors — and to exposure groups:

If predators contact you this way — spiralling, seeking exposure, confessing in desperation — DOCUMENT IT. REPORT IT. SHARE IT.

We must track this pattern together.

We must show that when the system misses the signals, we will not.

And we must demand that this behaviour is no longer ignored — so that no child suffers because we failed to act.

This fight is only beginning.

“Predators Are Slipping Through the Cracks — And They Are Coming to Me to Be Exposed.”
A survivor-led investigative series documenting a new phase of systemic failure — when predators beg to be stopped, and the system does nothing.